Inexorable
by xxNoTimeToRegret
Summary: Evelynn had wanted to die. Maybe it would've been better for all of Camelot if Merlin and Arthur had let her. Not everything is as it seems with this troubled woman... Arthur/OC; Warnings: Attempted suicide, rape, murder, language. Please R&R!
1. Persuasion

**Disclaimer: **I quite unfortunately do not own Merlin.

Ohaithur! This is my first Merlin fic, though I am by no means new to the fandom or fanfiction. This little plot bunny came to me as a daydream, and refused to go away. I'd really appreciate feedback and _constructive_ criticism. Any and all flames will be added to the Wall of Sh(f)ame. Though gladly I have not received a flame as of yet.  
This could be read as a one-shot. _Or_ it could rapidly turn into a very long-winded, very sappy, love story. I'm good at those.  
So depending on the amount of feedback I receive, and if it's requested that I do carry on with the story, then I certainly will. Because I already have a good idea as to how it'll all play out. But that's up to you, my dear readers!

**Inexorable**

The crack of a twig was what first alerted Evelynn to their presence. Following was a rustle in the bushes and the sound of pots clanging together noisily, then what could've been a reprimanding 'shush' from whoever was approaching. Evelynn quickly wiped the tears off her face and turned her back to the source of the noise. She peered frightfully over the precipice she stood upon, restarting the rapid beating of her heart and the dizziness she'd long ago associated with her fear of heights. With a sniffle she closed her eyes, thinking about what she was about to do. What she'd been standing there for three hours about to do. _'It's now or never,'_ she thought, taking a deep breath to force down the growing terror in the pit of her stomach. Keeping her eyes tightly shut she lifted a foot and dangled it over the edge of the cliff, nearly screaming as her balance was thrown off. _'Do it!' _she screamed to herself. Her body wasn't going to cooperate, it seemed, and she resteadied herself. She had the sudden urge to run into the nearby bushes and vomit, but that urge instead strengthened her conviction and she leaned ever so slightly forward-

"Stop!" The strangers she'd heard in the woods behind her now emerged, "Please, we mean no harm."

Evelynn could hear two sets of footsteps, and threw a disheartened glance over her shoulder, noting a raven-haired, ragged-looking man and the slightly less worn-looking blonde-haired man, "Go away. I'll jump." As if to emphasize this fact she spread her arms out and looked over the cliff once more. It was a long way down, a river and jagged rocks at its base. A sob escaped her, "I'll do it!"

The man who'd first spoken, the man with the blonde hair and calm tone, replied confidently, "No, you won't. You'd already have done it if you were going to at all."

Evelynn raised her chin defiantly, but her arms lowered slowly to her sides.

"What's your name?" He asked, and Evelynn turned her head to meet his gaze. She could see that he was inching slowly and very carefully towards her, never breaking eye contact. She hardened her glare back at him before speaking,

"Evelynn."

"Alright," he nodded reassuringly, "Evelynn, I'll make you a deal: get down from there, and I-"

"You'll what? Help me?" she sneered.

In a defiant and even tone he answered, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I will."

"Not bloody likely." Evelynn grimaced as a tear slid down her cheek, looking utterly lost as she murmured, "You couldn't help me."

"What makes you so sure?" As the man asked there was a clanging of metal upon metal as the raven-haired boy tripped over his own feet and spilled armor and pots everywhere. He was almost as close to Evelynn as the blonde one was; now they were scarcely a meter away.

Evelynn glared at them both coldly, "I don't _want_ your help." With that, she whirled around and shut her eyes once more.

"Are you certain you're ready to give up?" He asked, somewhat arrogantly.

"I have no other choice!" Evelynn shouted, beginning to tremble. She was desperately clinging on to every word he said, but she knew all he was saying would be proven wrong if he knew why she was there in the first place…

The man paused, then said solemnly, "Of course you do. There's always another choice."

"What if that other choice is what you're fleeing?"

"Then find another."

She hung her head lamely, being tugged in too many directions at once. If she lived, she'd be better off dead. If she died… she'd never know if she could have made it or not. She rocked agitatedly on her heels, trembling like she never had before.

"Evelynn, I promise to help you through whatever it is that has you so distraught. Just get down from there." He sounded much closer now, and Evelynn could hear utmost sincerity in his confident voice, "Please, Evelynn, believe me."

She knew right then that she'd never really been strong enough to jump; she was cowardly, running from her problems, her hurt, her fears… and now, she didn't even have the power to rid herself of all those things at once. Knowing today wasn't her last made relief course through her and she sank to the ground, mind reeling.

The wind picked up just then, rustling the leaves in the trees. Evelynn was never so glad to hear that sound, smell the damp morning air, listen to the birds sing their lovely song… And then, she heard a cracking, and the sound of rocks crashing into the cliff and dropping far down below. The ground underneath her shook, and before Evelynn was able to comprehend what was happening she was plummeting downward, too shocked to even yell for help.

What happened next, Evelynn wasn't quite sure. She heard the blonde man shout, "_Merlin!" _at about the same time the raven-haired boy edged his way over the cliff on his stomach, reaching out towards her and slipping off in the process. The other boy grabbed his foot before he fell as well, and just at that time a vine seemed to spring out of the side of the cliff and wrap itself around her wrist. Evelynn clung on for dear life, not chancing a look down as she scrabbled for the dark-haired boy's hand. After many failed attempts she grasped on, and was slowly dragged upward with him by the blonde boy.

Once she was safely over the edge, the two clinging on to either of her arms, she collapsed into the grass, weeping uncontrollably at what had merely become of her. She felt the dark-haired man draw her into a warm embrace, murmuring softly, "We'll help you, we'll help you," and soon felt the other place a comforting hand on her shoulder. Under normal circumstances she'd be frightened out of her mind, but she was so grateful for their presence at that moment that she clung onto them with all her might. Soon the tears subsided, and she glanced up at her rescuers.

"Thank you," she said hoarsely, brushing the dark hair away from her now vivid-blue eyes, "Thank you so, very much." The blonde one squeezed her shoulder and the raven-haired one hugged tighter. "Who are you?"

The one hugging her answered first, a warm smile on his face, "I'm Merlin."

The one who she had spoken to, so rudely in hindsight, replied, "And _I _am Prince Arthur of Camelot."

Evelynn's eyes widened, and with a small gasp she passed out, everything rushing at her at once.

**Author's Note- **I really wanted to add Arthur saying, "Merlin, you idiot," after him jumping halfway off the cliff, but couldn't fit it in nicely. So. Imagine it as you will. ;D  
And, as I said before, I would really love some feedback. I have an incredibly irrational fear of posting new stories. But I figured this one was worth a shot.  
Thank you! --Sydney.


	2. Protecting Me

**A/N: Inexorable is officially going to be continued! Huzzah? ;D**

**Protecting Me**

"So, she'll be alright?" Merlin asked, for what had to be the hundredth time that hour. Evelynn lay fast asleep on Merlin's bed, breathing evenly and occasionally shifting into a more comfortable position.

Gaius rolled his eyes, "Yes, yes, she'll be fine. Other than a few cuts and bruises I can see no major physical injuries." He checked to make sure the bandages around her arm and leg were secured, thinking back to the long, straight cuts and scars they covered. "Though I do have a few questions for her when she wakes up."

Arthur spoke up then, moving closer to the physician from his spot in the corner, "I'm assuming there's no obvious indication as to why she was about to…?"

Still pondering the girl's injuries, Gaius replied, "No, sire, not that I can gather."

Arthur glanced once more at the sleeping patient, and then said, "Right then. I best be going. Be sure to inform me when she's well again."

With that he strode out of the room, giving both Gaius and Merlin an acknowledging nod before he exited. As soon as he was definitely gone and well out of earshot, Merlin rushed to stand next to Gaius, asking conspiratorially, "You said you had questions for her?"

"Yes." Gaius began to clean up the various medicines and bandages around the table.

Eagerly, Merlin said, "What kind of-"

"None that I can elaborate on without speaking to her first." Gaius dropped his voice to a whisper, looking sternly at the young warlock, "Nothing concerning magic, if that's what you expected."

"Oh." Merlin, feeling slightly dejected, sat down on a chair not far from Evelynn's sleeping form. "When will she be up?"

Gaius sighed impatiently. "Whenever her body can cope."

"Right." Merlin looked thoughtfully out the window for a few moments, "Gaius?"

"What is it, Merlin?"

"D'you think we can help her?"

Both gazed back at Evelynn as Gaius replied, "I certainly hope so, Merlin."

**---**

When Evelynn next opened her eyes, all she saw was darkness. She quickly sat up, ignoring her throbbing headache, and tried to recall where she was. A few moments later she remembered vividly recounting the desperation she'd felt before; the relief, the fall, the panic, the gratitude. And then, with a slight start, she recalled who exactly had saved her.

_'Prince Arthur of Camelot,'_ she mentally kicked herself, _'I nearly told a prince to sod off!'_

With a quick shake of her head she told herself not to think about that, and instead directed her thoughts to where she was currently. It felt like she was resting on top of a very lumpy cot, and there was a faint sound of the chirping of crickets through a window not far from where she lay. If she squinted, she could dimly make out the silhouette of a large cabinet in the corner, along with an abundance of scattered books and clothing.

_'Where am I?'_

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, noting that there was a bandage around her right thigh and several around her upper left arm. Not letting herself question this she stood up, wincing as her feet hit the stone-cold floor. She tiptoed over to the window, trying to avoid the mess on the floor. She looked out, and realized she was too high up to jump down into the courtyard below. Sighing, she turned around and looked for a door. She finally spotted it, a few feet from the bed, and hurried to reach it. Halfway there she tripped over an opened book, making a large clatter as she grabbed for the nearest thing to support her (which just so happened to be a chair). Cursing inwardly, she only had time to sit up before someone entered the room carrying a candle,

"Whoa, where d' you think you're going?" The raven-haired boy, the one who had earlier introduced himself as Merlin, hurried over to her and held out a hand.

Evelynn, after a moment of deliberation, cautiously took it and stood, brushing off her dress as she stuttered, "I-erm. I was just-"

"Just leaving?" Merlin shook his head, "I don't think so."

Indignant, Evelynn asked, "And why ever not?"

"Because you're unwell." Merlin led her back over to where she'd woken up, and Evelynn sat, silent and wary.

"You're really going to help me?" Evelynn whispered, not knowing how to express what she felt at the thought.

"Well," Merlin grinned cheekily, "We'll certainly try."

She nodded absently, taking this in. After a moment she asked, "Where am I, exactly?"

"In Camelot."

"I gathered that much, thanks. Where _in _Camelot am I?"

"Oh!" Merlin grinned apologetically, "You're in the castle. In the court physician's quarters."

Evelynn's eyebrows rose, "O-kay. And you're here because-?"

"Well, erm," Merlin sat down beside her, "this _is _my room."

"Oh?" Evelynn felt a pang of guilt, "Then where are you sleeping?"

"Anywhere." He shrugged it off as if it happened all the time, and then added, "Not that it matters. _You're _the patient."

"You're sure you're alright?"

"Of course."

Evelynn nodded thankfully. "You're not the physician, are you?"

"No!" With a grin, Merlin shook his head animatedly, "Definitely not. That'd be Gaius. I'm just Arthur's manservant. Speaking of Gaius, I'd better go wake him." He stood up and crossed to the doorway, then turned back to her, "Just… wait here."

Evelynn grinned slightly. _'Where else could I go?' _She noticed the room beginning to get lighter now, the sun rising in very slow increments in the distance.

A few moments later Merlin returned, a slightly irritated-looking older man trailing along behind him. Upon seeing Evelynn awake the white-haired physician grinned politely as Merlin introduced, "Evelynn, this is Gaius. Gaius, this is Evelynn."

Nodding in acknowledgement Gaius said, "Thank you, Merlin, I believe myself capable of taking it from here."

"Right." Merlin sat down once again next to Evelynn. A moment passed where nothing was said, and then Gaius quirked an eyebrow in Merlin's direction.

"Don't you have other matters to attend to?"

"Like what?" He asked, confusion written on his face.

Gaius rolled his eyes, "The prince?"

"…" Merlin, looking a bit shocked at having forgotten, said quickly, "I'll be back."

Gaius and Evelynn watched him exit the room, nearly tripping over his feet in the process, amused looks on their faces.

Gaius chuckled, shaking his head pityingly, "The boy just doesn't seem to get it sometimes." He grabbed a chair from the corner of the room and pulled it up next to Evelynn. "How are you feeling?"

The way he looked at her: analyzing, knowing; she had to avert her eyes from his, "I'm fine."

"I see." Gaius paused. "Are you sure?"

A tense moment passed, and Evelynn answered, "What do you think?"

Gaius seemed to be going along with her game, dancing around the dark subject at hand. "You have no lasting physical _injuries_."

Noting the emphasis placed on the last word, Evelynn nodded absentmindedly.

Cautiously, Gaius continued, "I see you have some very oddly-shaped scars."

Evelynn said nothing, gazing blankly at the hands that were folded in her lap.

"Can you tell me how you received them?"

Her blank gaze faltered and for a moment a scared look passed over her features, "An animal attacked me."

"It must've been a very precise animal," The physician remarked, gauging her reaction.

Defensively she snapped, "How else would I have gotten them?"

Keeping a calm, even tone he said, "You may have been attacked by… something else."

Evelynn shifted uncomfortably, knowing just what he was thinking. "And if I was?"

"Then you had much more at stake when you were about to take your own life."

* * *

**Author's Note- **Hey guys! Not much to say this time around, except thank you! I have seen that quite a few of you have been viewing this story, as well as the two who reviewed first time around and sent messages. It feels so great to be back on FF. I missed it. BUT, now that I _am_ back, I am beginning to realize how redundant some of my phrases are and how much rambling I do, etc. I'm a very insecure writer. So... feedback is appreciated! And I would definitely love to know if you think anyone is OOC, and what you think of Evelynn so far.

I'm not one of those writers who say, "Hey y'all, review or ya get no story!" That being said, it certainly does help if I do receive reviews. Even though I've seen this used billions of times before by FF writers, "Reviews _are _love." Truly, they are.

Hope you liked this chapter, next one will be up soon!  
Thanks - Sydney.

_[[Oh! PS: Typoes make me want to shoot myself. Normally Microsoft Word catches most of them, and I don't like to proofread because if I do, then I'll end up spending eight hours rewriting things. Please alert me asap if you find any!]]_


	3. I'll Stand By You

**I'll Stand By You**

"Where is she?" Arthur removed his hunting gloves carefully and handed them to his ever-incompetent manservant, a stern look on his face as he strode into the physician's quarters. He'd told Merlin to inform him whenever the girl awoke, which is exactly what he did. But, as always, Arthur had rolled his eyes and scoffed at the interruption.

"Just around the corner, sire," Merlin followed quickly behind him, hoping that Arthur would have the sense not to tell off the poor girl, "Gaius is speaking with her right now, so I'd advise you-"

Not heeding Merlin's words, Arthur barged into his servant's room and immediately spotted the young patient. He greeted formally, "Hello, Evelynn."

Evelynn, still nervously dodging Gaius' questions, curtseyed nervously without making eye contact. Though the prince's entrance was a bit unexpected, she was glad for the chance to steer away from the conversation she and the physician had started, "My lord."

He stayed silent a moment, feeling quite unsure about how to approach the subject of their meeting. Deciding to disregard it for the moment he gestured to her bandages, "I trust you'll be okay now?"

It was only after the question was asked that he saw its possible double meaning. Evelynn tipped her head solemnly, noticing it as well, and said, "Yes. Thank you."

Arthur nodded, not really having expected any other response. "We have quite a lot to talk about." Seeing Evelynn shift uncomfortably he added, "But that will have to wait. In the meantime I will have Merlin prepare the guest quarters for you.

Evelynn's head snapped up, her eyes meeting his for the first time that day, "I'll be staying… here?"

There was on overwhelming mixture of emotions in her gaze: guilt, confusion, sadness, hope, denial… Just looking at her made Arthur almost understand the depth of her pain. How could one fragile person feel so much and _not _end up like she had?

"Of course," he half-grinned to make his own confusion, "You're the guest of honor, as far as my father is concerned. He believes you are an old friend of mine, saved from bandits in the woods."

Though Evelynn could spot some pretty huge flaws in that kind of cover story, she felt grateful for his effort. A smug smirk from the prince conveyed that he thought this story was brilliant, and he took the slightly concerned look on Evelynn's face to be one of worry for her secret. Awkwardly, he said, "I didn't tell him… what really happened. I trust that you can go along with whatever questions he asks you; act like a noble, and he will believe you _are_ a noble."

Evelynn nodded slowly, "I understand, sire."

Merlin, having watched this conversation silently, sighed in relief. He'd been expecting Arthur to be his normal prat-ish self, but instead he seemed to be genuinely concerned for Evelynn. For what reason, Merlin had no clue. It was a welcome change, however, so he didn't question it. Arthur made a move as if to turn and leave when Merlin spoke up, "Where're you going?"

"To finish hunting," Arthur replied, "And then to court. Father will be expecting a report on our newest patient." He cleared his throat, turning again to the girl, "I will be seeing you then, Evelynn. Gaius." He tipped his head in acknowledgement and they did the same. "Merlin, be sure she's comfortable."

They all watched as the prince left the room, and Evelynn shifted uncomfortably. What had she gotten herself into? She hardly knew these people, and yet they were willing to help her. Well, try to at least. What had they to gain from such an endeavor?

Gaius was the first to break the silence, "Right, Evelynn, I believe you are good to go. Just don't over-exert yourself and you'll be fine."

She nodded once, and noted vaguely that Merlin had stood up to go prepare her room. Feeling obligated to follow after the young boy; she walked over to him and grinned politely. He smiled back, and began to walk out the door. Evelynn began following him, but on a second thought turned to face Gaius.

"About what you said earlier," she said carefully, referring to their discussion before Arthur had waltzed in, "I know."

Gaius bowed his head solemnly to acknowledge this admission, just at the same time Merlin peeked his head from around the corner, "Know what?"

Evelynn jumped slightly, not having expected him to overhear, and threw him a nervous glance. After a few seconds he caught on to her discomfort and said, "Let's go prepare your rooms, shall we?"

The two strolled down the stone corridors in a somewhat comfortable silence, not really minding the fact that they had known each other for all of twenty minutes yet still seemed to get along quite nicely. Evelynn's mind buzzed with the concerns and questions she should be focused on, but for the moment she pushed them all aside. She might as well enjoy the false security while it lasted.

Evelynn could tell that Merlin was thinking of something to say; every few minutes she'd see peripherally as he turned his head to her and opened his mouth to speak, then thinking better of it he'd shake his head and turn away. After a few more twists and turns through the corridors, Evelynn decided to start the conversation for him.

"Arthur seems nice."

Merlin raised his eyebrows incredulously, turning to look at the dark-haired girl. Seeing a sly smirk on her face he cracked a grin and said, "Well, he _is_ quite the character."

"As are all royals," Evelynn smiled at Merlin's knowing and sympathetic glance, then stared intently at the ground, "I never really thanked you for saving me."

Merlin shrugged humbly, and Evelynn continued, "Really. You could've gotten yourself killed, jumping after me like that. I owe you."

Merlin said, truthfully, "It happens all the time. It's just lucky that the doe Arthur was chasing lead us to you." After he said this he instantly regretted it, unsure as to how she would take it. Thankfully she showed no reaction, and he changed the subject, "So… where are you from?"

Evelynn's gaze faltered, and she looked away from him, "A kingdom far, _far _away. You wouldn't recognize the name."

The young warlock looked at her peculiarly, wondering why she was avoiding the question. He decided not to press the issue, though, seeing as he had some fairly large secrets himself. "What's it like there?"

Evelynn grimaced slightly and muttered incoherently, "Terrible."

"Sorry?"

"Terrific!" She grinned, faking reminiscence as she gazed out of one of the arched windows in the hall they now walked down. She admired the picturesque quality of everything she could see; from the cobblestone courtyard to the clear, blue sky and beautiful green landscape. She sighed, "It's nowhere near as beautiful as here, though. Besides a few feeble livestock and withering fields, there's nothing really of interest. It's very small: even some of the nobles who've passed through hadn't known exactly what we were. It's kind of embarrassing, really."

Merlin chuckled, and said honestly, "Sounds pleasant. Sometimes I wish Camelot weren't so well-known. Then we'd have fewer problems."

Evelynn had certainly heard of Camelot, and of the incredible lengths the King had gone to rid his kingdom of magic. She was a bit unnerved to be in the place she'd heard so many morbid tales about. She personally had nothing to fear, not being of magical blood, but she had once been close friends with one girl who did practice sorcery. That was a long time ago, though. From what she could remember, the witch had never caused any trouble. Magic wasn't such a bad thing when she used it. _'Like hell I'd tell this guy that!'_

She tried to imagine a King of such strict mannerisms; one of such fear and hatred. He couldn't _really_ be as bad as the stories she'd heard, right? Though she'd learned to expect the worst from that lot of people. Her thoughts drifted back to her village; how it was nothing like what she had just told to Merlin. There was a sinking feeling in her stomach as she thought about her lie: he'd just saved her, he deserved her honesty. But, that would have to wait.

She nearly stopped at her next thought: If she had been unable to adequately lie to Merlin, a servant, how could she possibly be able to lie to a King? Panic overwhelmed her as she realized she'd have to tell him the village's name as well. She had to bite her tongue to keep from cursing at her stupidity.

There was a troubled look on Evelynn's face now, one that Merlin couldn't quite put his finger on. Wistful, perhaps. Or pining. Then the thought occurred to him: What had she left behind at her home? Her family, her friends, everything was left behind. Wouldn't that worry someone? He nearly smacked his forehead for not having thought of that sooner. "What about your family? Won't they be worried about you?"

Evelynn snorted and folded her arms, "Hmph. No, probably not. They'll probably be relieved; one less burden to bear."

"You're no burden, Evelynn." Merlin said with sincerity. He saw her face soften for a moment, then her blue eyes hardened once more.

"That's not what they think." Evelynn, before Merlin could protest, continued, "My father was a hateful, despicable drunkard; my mom a frail, weak-minded woman. They only really kept me around because I'm their only child. They've always wanted a son, but they ended up with me. I suppose they blame me for not being able to carry on the family name."

Evelynn closed her eyes briefly to hide the surge of emotions threatening to overwhelm her, "I hate them. What they stand for, what they've done… They're loathsome beings."

It wasn't until a moment later that the two young adults realized that they'd stopped walking, and now stood face to face in the center of the hall. Merlin stared down at her sympathetically, concerned and slightly curious about what had made her feel this way. Softly he asked, "Is that why you ran away?"

"No." Evelynn, whose gaze was seemingly glued to the stone floor, sighed. "Well, yes. Part of it anyway."

"And the other part?"

Merlin cringed at the way her expression went from a mixture of pained emotions to one of no emotion whatsoever. It was like whatever she wanted to say, whatever the answer to his question was, had been too much to handle and she shut off, unable to say it even if she had wanted to.

"It's not important." She said hoarsely, and looked up at him for the first time that conversation. With a slight nod of her head she signaled that they should probably get moving once more. Merlin nodded solemnly and continued to lead the way to where she'd be staying.

Compared to the silence present before their conversation this was infinitely more uncomfortable, and they both kept their gaze averted from the other's. Just when the silence became nearly intolerable Evelynn asked,

"So… where are _you_ from?"

Merlin replied quickly, "Ealdor."

"Really?" Evelynn grinned brightly over at him, then stopped at the disconcerted expression on his face. "I've passed through there once with my parents. It's a nice village."

Nodding his head in agreement he said, "Well, at least the people are nice. The village itself? Not so much. But it was home."

"Why'd you leave?"

"No reason," he replied quickly, and Evelynn could sense he was hiding something. "I'm… here to study with my uncle."

Evelynn didn't say anything. Knowing that she had lied to him, how could she criticize him for doing the same? Instead she continued, "I see. That's unfortunate."

Merlin shook his head, "It's not all bad. The worst part is Arthur's mood swings. He's like a girl sometimes."

"So he's _that _kind of prince, then?"

Merlin smirked, "Pretty much, yeah."

"And _that _kind of prince will help _me _with _my_ problems?"

"Now that I think about it," he grinned crookedly, "It'll probably be the other way around."

Evelynn laughed, knowing that her stay here was bound to be interesting.

Now that the tense atmosphere from earlier had dissipated, Merlin and Evelynn walked comfortable side by side for a few more minutes. They soon reached a set of wooden doors in a long corridor of other such doors.

Merlin took out a key and unlocked the first one, pushing it open and extending his arm out to the side, "And here we are, Evelynn. After you."

She stepped into the room and him after, wondering just what they were all getting themselves into, and if he really cared.

* * *

**Author's Note -**

Hello again! Sorry for the delayed update. Reality caught up with me again.  
Thank you, Daydreams Become Realities, for your ever-supportive and helpful reviews. They have been incredibly inspiring and entertaining. :]

On another note- I went to go see Alice In Wonderland tonight. 'Twas wonderful. And now my mind is full of little Alice/ Mad Hatter plot bunnies, that may or may not see the light of day. Depends on how much time I have later on this week. ;D

As always, reviews are much appreciated and helpful.  
Thanks! - Sydney


	4. Haunted

**A/N: There's a bit of a warning with this one. I attempted to make this chapter a little more dark and disturbing than I originally intended. Keyword: attempted. I'm usually terrible at these sorts of things. And I also wrote it at twelve last night, when I should've definitely passed out by then. Woo.**

**Haunted**

_'There was no other sound but the beating of her feet on the pitch-black, endless hallway. The echo itself was enough to make her head spin, an added torment to the pounding of her heart. She didn't know where she was or how she got there, but she knew one thing: she must keep moving._

_Suddenly, Evelynn saw a little pinprick of light at the end of the hallway and sped up, eager to escape the swirling darkness behind her. With every step the light grew, and with every frenzied breath her pace became slower. She cursed as invisible weights seemed to attach themselves to her legs and made every step excruciatingly slow. She struggled against this unbearable state and pushed her reluctant legs onward until they burned with the effort. Without warning a hand shot out of the darkness and latched onto her shoulder from behind, and Evelynn tried to scream, knowing that there was no way she could. The nightmare-ish being's touch stopped her in her tracks and she tensed, shuddering in revulsion when she felt its warm breath on the back of her neck. Its other hand gripped her hip, rubbing menacing circles into it as the hand on her shoulder travelled slowly down her arm. __She cried out in panic and heard it laugh, a deep, hollow-sounding thing. She tried to struggle out of its grip but was spun around quickly. Evelynn tried not to look at its face, knowing already whose it would be. She backed up uselessly and hit what felt like a stone wall, but was only another portion of the pitch-black hallway._

_"Not again," she whimpered, and slid down the wall, defeated. She clutched her knees to her chest, trying to shield herself, and looked up at the dreaded monster; the one who haunted nearly all of her dreams… and gasped. _

_Standing there was Merlin, but there was something strange about the way he stood. It was more regal, proud. He was staring down at her with heartless, bloodthirsty eyes. The voice that escaped his mouth was not his, however, as he bellowed, "Now!"_

_Unable to look at Merlin, who now seemed to be morphing into the more familiar, more feared figure, Evelynn shut her eyes tightly. As soon as she did so all noise ceased, and she reopened them frightfully._

_She now stood in a large dungeon; a skeleton hung from shackles on the wall opposite her, and a torch lit up the corner to her left, illuminating a partially-open wooden door. She stepped toward it and felt something sink into her foot. Looking down she saw that she stood upon shards of shattered glass, each piece gleaming and sparkling innocently in the light of the flames. She felt no pain as another piece sunk in, and another, and another. Though there was no pain her steps began to falter, until her feet gave out from underneath her and she landed on her side in the glass. It dug into every area it touched, and Evelynn could feel her eyelids drooping reluctantly as she stared longingly at the open door…_

_And then, she opened her eyes once more. She was in what appeared to be a large open field, grass swaying pleasantly in the cool breeze that blew her dark hair gently around her face. She turned around and spotted a boulder with a rose resting atop it. Moving quickly and without pain from the cuts that had magically disappeared Evelynn grabbed the rose and sat where it used to lay. Off in the far distance she saw what appeared to be dark clouds spiraling upward into the clear blue sky; if she squinted she could see the flicker of flames at their base, castle walls crumbling beneath its malice._

_Evelynn looked around for some explanation, but forgot everything as she saw a figure clad in a lacy white dress standing only a short distance away. The lady's graying hair blew in wisps across her back, and Evelynn whispered, "Mother?"_

_The figure whipped around to face Evelynn, and the young girl cried out in shock. The woman was indeed her mother, and right where her heart should be resided a deep, bleeding hole; the offending dagger was held tightly in her right hand. Her eyes were pitch black, staring right at Evelynn as if she could read every thought, every emotion that coursed through the youth's body. Suddenly her mother's face contorted in rage and she let out an inhuman shriek, brandishing the dagger and running quickly at Evelynn. Evelynn choked back a scream and backed up slowly, unable to look away from the creature's eyes that now stared intently at Evelyn's abdomen. It drew ever closer and closer until it could almost plunge the knife into Evelynn's chest, and then gasped, crumpling to the ground in a heap. _

_Evelynn only had time to process that a sword, thrown from a distance, had plunged itself into her mother's back, its tip protruding dangerously out of her stomach before hearing a frightened voice yell, "Evelynn! Run!" _

_She turned to the source of the voice and saw as the sky darkened with the smoke that had originated from the fire in the distance, threatening to completely obliterate the sun's light. Underneath this cloud was Arthur, sword out and slashing viciously at the fire that was approaching. Beside him stood Merlin, eyes flashing a brilliant shade of gold as he muttered something unintelligible underneath his breath and sent orbs of light into the approaching flames._

_Evelynn began to do as she was told and ran, suddenly finding the rose from earlier clutched in her right hand. Its thorns bit roughly into her skin and this time she did feel it; with a cry for help she tripped over her feet and landed in a puddle of some dark, sticky substance and tried ineffectively to shriek as she realized it was her own blood. She scrambled up quickly and tried to flee but was pulled down by some invisible force, her back hunching over from some pull underneath the shallow pool that seemed to glow in the ever-approaching fire. Her body was dragged down, slowly and agonizingly as she struggled to move. With a final cry she dropped the rose and watched as it sank down into the red death, and slowly followed it. Before her head submerged under she heard Arthur shout, "No!"_

_And everything went black.'_

**----**

Evelynn awoke with a shriek and sat up lightning quick, drenched in a cold sweat. She looked desperately at her palms for signs of the cuts the thorns had given her, and cried out in relief when she saw none. Her heart was racing, her breathing quick and irregular, feeling as if she was going to be sick. She clutched at her stomach and doubled over in pain, dry-heaving and sobbing as the horrible image of her mother running at her, eyes blackened and heart missing filled her head. Within several minutes she was able to stifle her sobs and calm down a bit, but had begun trembling like a leaf. She pulled the covers around her shaking form as she glanced around her chambers. Everything was quiet, calm, undisturbed. She hadn't left them since Merlin had left after preparing the room, and she kept the door locked as soon as he was gone. But she felt like she was being watched; like she wasn't the only one there... She hadn't had a dream that vivid in quite a while, and hopelessly hoped that she never would again. She remained sitting up glancing fearfully into the shadows of the room, hoping either for a dreamless sleep to overtake her or the day to break.

* * *

**Author's Note -**

Alright. Yes, yes, I know it's incredibly short. Sorry 'bout that. But at least it's something, right? ^_^  
You can blame Alice in Wonderland (and numerous other things, like responsiblity and reality. Who needs 'em, really?) for the delay in updating. Stupid little plot bunnies (carrying pocket-watches and wearing waistcoats!) wouldn't leave me alone. It's a good thing I have the next few chapter's dialogue all written out, or else we'd be in a bit of a dilemna. Not to worry though, things have been cleared up a bit and I'll be able to get back to writing. Hopefully. ;)

Thanks again for the reviews, next chapter'll be up soon!

-Sydney


	5. Web of Lies

**Web of Lies**

The rest of that night was spent in a restless fit as she attempted to stem the flow of thoughts that ran through her head. It was with great welcome that the sun began to rise slowly on the horizon and a bit of light crept in through the window across the wall from her bed. Evelynn sighed tiredly and lay on her back, one arm thrown across her face. It was still incredibly early, in her opinion, and she had no idea when the inhabitants of Camelot would be up and about, so she attempted once more to fall back asleep. The small amount of light seemed to dispel the terror her nightmare had created and she began to slowly relax…

Just as soon as Evelynn was able to drift to sleep there was a knock upon the door of her chambers. She sat up, head throbbing with the lack of sleep, and rubbed her burning eyes. The visitor knocked again and a familiar muffled voice called out, "Evelynn?"

Evelynn sighed and stretched, about to answer when he yelled again, "Evelynn? It's me, Merlin."

"One moment, please," she called back, and stood up slowly, wincing at how cold it was. She pulled her blanket up around her shoulders and strolled over to the door, hesitating a moment before opening it. "Hello," she said as it swung open, revealing a very apologetic-looking Merlin.

"Sorry to wake you," he yawned, having just gotten up himself, "How was your first night in Camelot?"

Seeing as yawns were contagious, her response was an equally as tired one.

Merlin grinned knowingly, "Couldn't sleep, then?"

"No," Evelynn frowned, "Nightmares kept me up." She looked up at him and recalled that Merlin had been in her dream; had been the one to back her against the wall and… She looked away from him, not wanting to relive it. Merlin looked at her oddly, and was reminded of Morgana and her nightmares. He felt sorry for Evelynn, and hoped hers weren't as bad as that.

"I see," he said quietly, "Well, the King has sent for you."

Evelynn's face instantly deadpanned and she snapped her gaze back to Merlin's. Seeing her frightened expression he added hastily, "It's just a formality, really, nothing to worry about."

The young boy's comforting grin did nothing to assuage her nerves and she murmured, "Splendid. When does he need me?"

"He said that it isn't urgent and to take your time. Which essentially means you should get there as soon as possible."

She nodded and stared blankly at the floor, "Right."

"It'll be alright," Merlin said certainly. His trust kind of unnerved Evelynn; she'd never encountered such a truly sincere being in all her life. He went on, "Just be specific and try not to stutter. You were on your way to visit when you were attacked by bandits. Luckily Arthur heard your cries for help and slayed the miscreants. The King wants to make a good impression on the noble visitors. He won't take the risk of you being offended if he doesn't recognize you."

"Can't wait," Evelynn snorted. She hadn't meant for it to come out so uncaringly, and Merlin sensed her apprehension. He reached out and placed a hand on her shoulder, in an attempt to comfort her. She had a sudden flash of the Merlin from her dream grabbing her shoulder in quite the same way, and she flinched in revulsion. Merlin seemed to think he'd offended her somehow and snatched his hand away. Evelynn looked down guiltily at the floor, unable to explain.

A few moments later Merlin attempted to lighten the atmosphere, "You'll do fine. Don't worry."

Evelynn nodded stiffly, still avoiding eye contact. With an uncomfortable cough he began to turn and walk out the door, "I'll be right outside. Just come out whenever you're ready." He shut the door on his way out and Evelynn stared at it despairingly, wishing that the conversation could've gone differently.

She emerged from her chambers a few moments later, wearing the same outfit she'd worn yesterday. Merlin made a mental note to get her started on a new wardrobe and grinned at the nervous-looking girl. With a deep sigh and squaring of the shoulders she said, "Alright. Time to lie to the King."

Merlin laughed and pat her back encouragingly, "That's the spirit." He remembered the first time he'd lied to King Uther, and grimaced at its consequences. Hopefully Evelynn was a better liar than he, or she'd end up in the stocks along with him.

The two both hoped for the best as they walked the castle corridors to the Royal Court.

----

Arthur yawned as he waited for Merlin to fetch Evelynn, being careful not to let his father see his apprehension at the situation. Ever since Uther had called the Court in to 'welcome Lady Evelynn back to Camelot', he'd been feeling more and more certain that his lie would fall through and they'd all end up in the stocks. Well, _he_ wouldn't end up in the stocks. Merlin would. Which could be quite entertaining, actually, since his bumbling manservant hadn't had to visit them in a while. Arthur would just be sent to his room, as was his usual punishment. Evelynn, on the other hand… well, she'd probably end up quite the same way Merlin and Arthur had found her a few days prior. He frowned at the thought and shook his head to be rid of it. She'd do fine, he was sure of it… sort of.

It was many nervous taps of the foot and agitated coughs later that there was a knock upon the doors of the Court, and the whole hall went silent. King Uther, whose chin rested lazily on his fist called, "Enter," and the oak doors swung open to reveal a slightly fidgety Merlin and a pensive-looking Evelynn. The two walked slowly past the guards at the door; Merlin retreated to where Gaius stood off to the side and Evelynn strolled forward, looking as solemn as they'd yet seen her.

It wasn't until she was halfway to the throne that she curtseyed timidly and tipped her head, "My Lord."

The prince sighed impatiently, thinking that if she was going to get away with the story he'd fed his father she'd have to look and act the part of a noble. As if she read his mind she lifted her gaze from the floor to Uther and smiled radiantly, as if happy to be reunited with an old friend.

Uther bought it right away, it seemed, for he smiled back and leaned forward in his seat, "Ah, dear Evelynn. What a pleasant surprise it is to see you again. Welcome back to Camelot."

Evelynn, never letting the fake smile leave her face, chuckled. Merlin certainly was right; the King did strive to impress a supposed noble. How very royal of him. "Thank you, sire. It is a pleasure to return." She looked around the room wistfully and added for emphasis, "I certainly have missed it here."

"And we you," Uther responded, seemingly engaged in the conversation. "I just wish your journey here hadn't been so unpleasant."

Evelynn fidgeted uncomfortably, the smile replaced by a slight frown, and she averted her gaze to a spot just behind the King's throne. _'It's now or never…' _she thought, and took a deep breath.

"As do I. But luckily Arthur was here to come to my rescue." Evelynn, for the first time that day, glanced up at Arthur and threw him a sincerely dazzling smile. Though taken aback slightly at how unexpected it was Arthur nodded humbly and returned the grin. She really was playing her part, and he was beginning to believe they'd actually get away with his lie.

The King, without looking to his son, said, "Yes, Arthur, we are all grateful for your efforts."

There was a short silence in which Merlin gave Evelynn the thumbs-up and Arthur visibly relaxed. Uther was buying into their scheme perfectly. Even Evelynn was surprised at how easily she could lie to this man. Then, as if to test the three conspirator's nerves Uther leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms regally, "Tell me, Evelynn, what exactly happened that morning?"

Merlin and Arthur held their breath as Evelynn hesitated, then began rather timidly, "It's just as Arthur has told you, sire. I was headed here from my village when bandits attacked me. I was not able to defend myself so I yelled for help. Arthur heard and came running to my defense." She paused here, and covered up the indecision in her gaze with admiration as she glanced up again to the prince, "He slayed them without a moment's hesitation and brought me here to Gaius to tend to my wounds."

It was then that Uther spared a glance to his son and remarked dryly, "It is very lucky that Arthur was in the area."

Evelynn nodded and replied, "Extremely, sire. I have no idea how I could ever repay him."

Uther smiled, a rather odd sight to witness under the circumstances, and spread his arms out welcomingly, "Why, that is simple enough! You shall stay here and become reacquainted with your old friends. I trust that will be alright?"

Even though Evelynn knew he expected no other reply she smiled gratefully and curtseyed, "Indeed it will be. Thank you, my lord."

"Not a problem, dear girl. You can call on Merlin, or Morgana's maid Gwen for anything you may need."

Evelynn looked over to Merlin, who was grinning happily at their success, and nodded once in his direction. She could not believe their luck, and was stunned at how little was needed to win Uther over. She commended herself on a job well done and stood up a little straighter, looking Uther in the eye as he said, "I cannot express how wonderful it is to have you back with us, Evelynn. I hope your stay here is enjoyable." He then scanned the court and said in a commanding tone, "You are all free to go."

Evelynn curtseyed once more and turned elegantly on her heel, heading to where Gaius and Merlin stood by the doors. Merlin grinned from ear to ear and whispered, "See? That wasn't so bad."

She smirked and gestured for him to follow her out when the King suddenly called, "Oh, and Evelynn, one more question: I seem to have forgotten the name of your village. Would you care to enlighten me once more?"

It was lucky that her back was to Uther, for the shocked expression on her face would've automatically given her away. "Y-yes, m'Lord, it's…" she stuttered, glancing frantically about the room. Her eyes landed on a tense-looking Merlin and she closed her eyes, "It's… Ealdor."

Merlin nearly jumped backwards in surprise and Arthur's eyes widened in disbelief. Gaius just remained staring calmly at a spot beside Evelynn, knowing that this question would've come up sooner or later. Uther seemed not to have noticed the dramatic shift in atmosphere and went on, "Ealdor?" He paused and Evelynn nearly collapsed with fright. "Alright, I remember now. Dismissed."

Evelynn sighed in relief and shot out of the court, a very-much confused Merlin in her wake. Gaius followed shortly after, excusing himself to his chambers and giving his friend the King a respectful nod before retreating.

Arthur remained staring at the spot Evelynn had just been standing in, a pensive look on his face. He didn't notice his father's gaze until Uther cleared his throat pointedly, "It is wonderful to have our old friend back in Camelot. She was such a scrawny thing when she last graced us with her presence." Arthur nodded absently and Uther pressed further, "Evelynn certainly has grown into quite a lovely young woman."

Though Arthur knew Uther was lying his royal head off, he inclined his head acknowledgingly. Uther had played this game many times before: he'd never ask outright if Arthur fancied anyone. It wasn't as if Arthur would tell him, anyway. He'd probably have her sent off to the dungeons after the incidents with Sophia and Vivian.

"I best make sure she's comfortable," Arthur said distractedly, and bid farewell to his father. With a grim look of determination he sped off after her, wondering who she really was and why she couldn't tell any of them the truth.

* * *

**Author's Note -**

Hello again. I've finally had the chance to post another chapter, and respond to the messages I've been receiving. Thank you all for the story alerts, faves, etc. I love it when the little AOL mail-man says, "You've got mail!" and all the messages are from FF.  
Now, as for this chapter, it does seem a bit confusing. I know. Everything'll become clearer within the next few chapters, so stick with me until then! I'm on Spring Break now, so updates may be a bit quicker and lengthier for this week. Woo?

'Till next time! - Sydney


	6. About a Girl

**About a Girl**

After such a close call, 'Lady' Evelynn rushed down the corridor, eager to get away from the court. It was only after she was certain that no one could hear her talking with Merlin that she finally stopped, dizzy and a bit nauseous as she leaned against the stone wall. Merlin skid to a halt beside her, glaring suspiciously at the newcomer whom they didn't really know at all.

"Ealdor?" He asked, wanting to clear things up once and for all.

"Not _really_, Merlin," Evelynn replied, looking apologetically at her new friend and hoping he'd believe her, "but I had to tell him _some_thing!"

The skeptic look never left his face, and he asked, "And why couldn't you just tell him _your_ village's name?"

Evelynn bit her lip worriedly and pinched the bridge of her nose, "It's a long story."

Merlin sighed, clearly frustrated, "Ealdor, Evelynn? Really? What nobility resides there? You're lucky that Uther hadn't recalled what a small village it was. He'd never have believed you then. And what happens if he remembers that's where _I'm_ from? It's only a matter of time before he does, and _when_ he does… Well, let's hope he doesn't. You were doing so _well_, Evelynn!"

"Merlin." She attempted to stop his rambling, but in his excitement he could not hear her.

"I mean, of course you're a better liar than me, since I've ended up in the stocks more times than I care to count. You'd _have_ to be, really, because—"

"Merlin."

"—and now what can we do? He'll know you've been lying either way once he processes what you've told him and—"

He had begun pacing back and forth, hands clasped behind his back. Evelynn rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm. "Merlin!" He stopped then, looking a bit surprised at himself, and glanced sheepishly at Evelynn. She continued, "I _know_ I shouldn't have said it and I _know_ I'll have to watch what I say from here on out. But I can't let him know where I've—"

"Merlin! Evelynn!" Arthur appeared from around the corner, having finally found them because of Merlin's near-shouting. He couldn't remember a time when he'd heard Merlin raise his voice at anyone (except him, once or twice), and he raised his eyebrows curiously.

Evelynn looked worriedly at Merlin and murmured, "Just go, Merlin, I'll have to explain later."

Merlin gave her a doubtful glance, "I'll be waiting, then." He started to walk in the direction Arthur was coming from and nodded once to his master, "Sire."

Arthur nodded back and continued past him, but after a moment turned around and said irritatedly, "And where do you think _you're_ going?"

Merlin whirled around, "Uh, well, Gaius said he needed me to run some errands, so I—"

"Come back here," Arthur said impatiently, rolling his eyes. Merlin groaned and trudged slowly back to his spot beside Evelynn. "Right," the prince glanced from Merlin to Evelynn and back again, then said in a slightly annoyed tone, "When were you two going to tell me you knew each other?"

Evelynn, not having expected such an idiotic question, shook her head in surprise. _'Is he really that daft?'_

The young warlock, on the other hand, stuttered, "P-pardon?"

So oblivious was Arthur that he rolled his eyes again at his manservant, "I've _been_ to Ealdor, _Mer_lin, if you can't remember. It's not that big. You two must have spoken at one point." His eyes travelled to meet Evelynn's and he furrowed his eyebrows, "I _knew_ I recognized you from somewhere..."

"What?" Merlin spluttered, "I've never seen her before in my li—"

"I'm sorry, sire," Evelynn cut Merlin off, "but you must be mistaken. Merlin and I have never met."

Arthur quirked an eyebrow at the girl, "Yet you're from Ealdor."

"No."

"So you lied!"

Evelynn shared a disbelieving look with Merlin. "My whole _existence_ here is a lie."

The smug smirk slid off Arthur's face and he murmured, "Oh. Right." He glanced searchingly at Evelynn, "Why Ealdor?"

She gave him the same response she'd given Merlin, "It's a long story." Seeing that Arthur most likely was not going to let her get away with that answer she tacked on quickly, "Don't you have to train your knights or something?"

Arthur nearly laughed. "Not until later. I'm supposed to be making sure you feel at home."

Noises could now be heard all around the castle; the inhabitants of Camelot were all getting up and beginning their normal routine. As people began to pass by and glance curiously at the three standing off to the side Arthur sighed and began to walk away, calling over his shoulder, "Follow me."

----

Many twists and turns later they arrived at Arthur's chambers. He let Merlin and Evelynn in before locking the door, and turned to face them. Evelynn looked around, noting the disheveled state the room was in and grinning slightly. Arthur noticed this and glared at Merlin, who had conveniently forgotten the prince's order that he clean it the day before. Merlin looked innocently at him before grabbing a nearby chair and pushing it in neatly. Arthur sighed and Merlin grinned sheepishly, beginning to tidy things up.

It was then that Arthur turned his attention to Evelynn, who bit her lip nervously. He motioned to the chair Merlin had just pushed in, "Sit." She glared half-heartedly at the order but sat down anyway. Arthur did the same across from her and asked bluntly, "Who are you?"

"Evelynn."

His blue eyes narrowed impatiently, "You know what I meant. Who _are _you?"

Evelynn took a deep breath, fixing her blue eyes on his, and said hurriedly, "I am Evelynn, only child of Eleanor and Thomas. I live in a small village _very_ far from here and worked as a servant to the court. I ran away three days ago, and now here we are."

Arthur observed the strange girl in front of him skeptically, noting her terrible posture and the way she clasped her pale hands nervously in her lap. Merlin watched their conversation from a distance, pretending to clean the far part of the room. He tripped and sent a bundle of papers flying in the process, but Arthur went on without noticing, "Why did you run away?"

_'A few more lies won't hurt,'_ Evelynn thought, _'I'll just tell him what I've told Merlin.' _She replied, "I couldn't live under my parent's strict rules any longer. They were insufferable."

"And _that _is the reason you nearly killed yourself." Arthur scoffed doubtfully, leaning forward ever so slightly. He knew he was being a bit insensitive to the subject of her attempted suicide, but the time for his sympathy was past. He needed answers.

Evelynn sent him a reproachful glare, saying reluctantly, "…Yes, partly."

"There was something else," Arthur remarked, and laughed incredulously when Evelynn shook her head at him. "Yes there was!" He shouted, indignant, "You wouldn't have said 'partly' if there wasn't another reason!"

Abandoning all prior formalities Evelynn looked the prince boldly in the eye and said, "Arthur, that is something I do not wish to disclose. I trust you know what that's like."

In the same near-hostile tone he retorted, "Evelynn, I promised to help you. I can't do that if you won't let me."

From his place across the room Merlin said apologetically, "He _is_ right, Evelynn."

Arthur held up a hand to silence him, "Shut up, Merlin." The look the raven-haired boy gave him then nearly made Evelynn laugh, and he winked at her before returning to his work. Arthur shook his head incredulously, "It won't _kill _you to tell us where you are from."

Evelynn closed her eyes, trying to repress the urge to yell at him. "I can't go back. Do you understand that? I _can't_ go back, ever."

"We won't make you," he said softly, convincingly. She slowly opened her eyes, searching his for a sign that he would keep his word. He was looking at her with such bold sincerity that she couldn't help but feel her resolve weakening. She wondered if that was how he charmed most women she'd heard stories about. She gulped once before whispering, "A small village on the outskirts of Gryndelliana."

"Gryndelliana?" Arthur vaguely remembered visiting that kingdom once a very long time ago, and raised his eyebrows in surprise, "That _is_ far from here. Why couldn't you tell us this earlier?"

Evelynn pondered the question for a moment, then said cautiously, "Someone _may_ be looking for me. I don't want to take the risk of anyone accidentally leading him here."

Merlin poked his head up over Arthur's bed, having been pretending to clean underneath it, and asked, "I thought you said no one would mind you leaving?"

Arthur asked childishly, "_Merlin_ knew about this?"

Evelynn shook her head glumly. "Not all of it." Referring to why she hadn't told them earlier she said, "It was a precaution. I can't go back."

"Why not?" The prince asked, and Evelynn crossed her arms defiantly at the torrent of questions.

"I just can't."

"Why must you be so _diff_icult?" Arthur leaned back in his chair, throwing his arms out in frustration.

She cringed at the unexpected outburst, slouching guiltily in her seat. Merlin saw this and frowned at Arthur, saying to the dark-haired girl, "We won't judge you, whatever it is. You can tell us."

Arthur saw how Evelynn relaxed a bit at that, and was envious of how much calmer and better Merlin was at handling this type of situation. Evelynn opened her mouth as if to speak, then closed it quickly, unsure of how to start. She did this a few times before glancing to Arthur and saying determinedly, "Alright, I'll tell you. But you can _not_ tell _anyone_. Is that clear?"

Merlin and Arthur both nodded quietly, surprised at how commanding and bold she was. It was like she forgot she was addressing royalty. That or she didn't care. (Probably the latter). She picked a spot on the floor by her feet and focused in on it, deciding to get to the point immediately, "Three months ago, I-I was… beaten and raped by a man in my village." She chanced a look up at Arthur, who was shocked beyond words. Merlin had walked up behind his master and leaned against his chair, an equally as stunned look on his face. Evelynn cleared her throat before continuing, softer than before, "It was after I had finished working at court a bit after sunset, and I was taking the shortcut through the woods to get home. I'd taken it so many times before that I was no longer concerned about if there was someone else out there. I was just about to climb up on the bridge to cross the river when a m-man of about forty years ran at me.

"After he was through with me he left, and no one cared to come looking for me until they realized I hadn't shown up to court that morning. My father was the one who found me, and he wouldn't believe me when I'd told him what happened. He accused me of being a whore, and I ended up walking home, alone, late that afternoon. No one would believe that I'd been…" she shrugged, "you know, so I just stopped talking about it. I was a disgrace to the entire family."

Arthur's jaw clenched as he observed the fragile girl's rigid posture and the lost look in her eyes as she revealed the entire story to them. There was something missing from her story, but what he couldn't tell. Merlin seemed to be thinking the same thing as he said sympathetically, "Why didn't you just leave then?"

Evelynn sniffed dejectedly, "I couldn't. I didn't know _what_ to do, or where to go. It wasn't until I found out that I- that _he_, the man who'd done it, had returned that I finally had the sense to run. And that's when you found me. I just- I couldn't- I don't want to live with this anymore! It'll haunt me forever, no matter where I go." She experienced a sudden wave of nausea and doubled over, trying not to let her emotions overtake her again. She took a deep breath before continuing, "And if he ever finds me, I don't know what he'd do."

"Who is this man?" Arthur asked in a deathly-calm tone, fist clenched in fury. What had happened to this poor girl was disgusting, unimaginably horrific for such a beautiful and kind-hearted individual. He closed his eyes in an attempt to keep from yelling.

"I don't know," Evelynn said, a frenzied look in her eyes, "and it's not important. What _is_ is that no one here ever finds out, or I will have to go back!" She had shouted that last bit and was near tears. Realizing this she sat up a bit straighter and looked at Merlin and Arthur in a slightly more composed way, "For now I am the young noble family from Ealdor's daughter, here visiting her old friend Prince Arthur Pendragon. _Nothing_ else matters."

Arthur almost slammed his fist on the table in incredulity. How could she say that? "Evelynn, you can't just let that… that _man _get away with this."

"He already has, sire. And that's the end of it." It was as if a fire burned out somewhere in Evelynn's eyes, and she sat blankly, calmly, in her seat.

Arthur looked imploringly at Merlin, who attempted to talk reason to her, "But—"

"_No_, Merlin," she cut him off with a determined and reproachful glare. "I don't want either of you to do anything. As long as he doesn't come looking for me I'll be fine."

"And if he does?" Arthur calmed himself down and stared pityingly at her.

"What could any of us do about it anyway?" She snapped, then thought a bit more on the question. "… If he does, then I'll just have to go through with my first course of action."

"Don't be so foolish, Evelynn. I'm—" Arthur was interrupted by a cough from Merlin, "—_we_'_re_ not going to let you do that."

Evelynn sighed and looked at them doubtfully, "Then let's hope no one finds out." She pried her gaze from Arthur's and looked out the far window, trying to sort out all of her thoughts. She was beginning to feel so overwhelmed by everything that another wave of nausea rolled over her and she clutched at her stomach, looking hurriedly around the room. Spotting a bucket near the doorway she murmured, "Excuse me," before rushing over and dry-heaving, leaning against the wall when she was through.

The two men averted their eyes for a moment before a thought occurred to Merlin. He tilted his head curiously, an 'oh' forming on his lips as he observed and thought back on Evelynn's behavior. He walked cautiously over to the girl and kneeled beside her, brushing her dark out of her face before asking softly, "There's something else, isn't there?"

Evelynn's eyes widened as she looked up at Merlin, and she finally snapped, tears falling freely down her cheeks. She nodded slowly, trembling like a leaf, and said quickly, "I couldn't let anyone know, they'd have run me out of t-town anyway. And my father… he'd have killed me himself! I was so scared. I'm _still_ scared. I can't do this, I _can't_…"

As Evelynn went on in a hysterical tone Arthur looked from her to Merlin and back, not really knowing what in the world they were talking about. A nagging feeling in the back of his head told him he should, but as it was he was very much confused. Merlin pulled the trembling girl into a hug and she leaned into him, trying to calm down while he murmured, "It's alright, you're alright. We'll take care of you…"

Finally unable to take the tension anymore Arthur asked, "_What_ is going on here?" Evelynn didn't hear, and nor did Merlin, it seemed. He tried again, "_Merlin_?"

His manservant, who was now stroking Evelynn's hair comfortingly, glared at his insensitive prat of a master. With a roll of his eyes he explained bluntly, "Arthur, she's with child."

Arthur stumbled back in surprise, eyes widening as he processed this new information. He had absolutely no clue what to say or how to help her, and felt like an ass that he didn't see it sooner. After a few moments Evelynn had calmed herself down and she wiped her eyes on her sleeve, still holding on to Merlin.

Arthur searched for something to say, but only came up with an unintentionally insensitive, "And this was because of that… man?"

Evelynn laughed bitterly and snapped, "Who else?"

"I-I am truly sorry, Evelynn," he stuttered, unable to think of something else, "We'll do whatever we can to help. Does Gaius know?"

She nodded blankly, grimacing, "He suspects, though we've yet to really discuss it."

Arthur was glad that she seemed to regain some of her boldness back after her brief episode, and nodded thoughtfully. _'Gaius will know how to handle a situation like this.'_ Referring to Evelynn's prior trembling and stress he asked carefully, "Are you well enough to go see him?"

With a nod and a bit of help from Merlin she stood up, brushing her dress off gingerly.

"Right," he said, admiring her courage, "Let's go."

* * *

**Author's Note -**

Told you all I'd have this thing up quickly. Thank Spring Break and the Merlin season one marathon that was on Syfy on Sunday.  
By the way, to everyone in America that reads this story, the second season of Merlin will premiere on Syfy April 2nd at ten. Just in case you weren't aware. :) I've already seen it, and let me tell you, it's quite a bit better than even the first season. The special effects are better as well. Woo!

I was very tempted to name this chapter, "You're Having My Baby", just for giggles, but I decided that'd be too mean. And this chapter's a bit too serious for that kind of song reference. I like the one I chose better anyway. ^-^

Hope you liked this chapter, I was very eager to get it up quickly and see what you all thought.  
**_Please review!  
_**(And thank you very much to those of you who have!)  
I'll most likely have another chapter up before Easter, so keep your eyes open.

Thanks! - Sydney


	7. Problem Not Solved

**Problem… **_**Not**_** Solved.**

The trio walked in a tense silence, each absorbed in their own thoughts. There was an expectant sort of buzz in the air of things that needed to be said but couldn't be phrased properly, so they let their separate remarks alone.

Arthur walked just a step ahead of Merlin and Evelynn, quite unsure of how to feel about the situation he'd landed himself in. Not that he regretted it, yet, but things had become a good deal more complicated in the past ten minutes than he'd have cared to imagine. Not only was this girl an emotional mess of a servant posing as a dignified noble, which is a risky problem in itself, but she also _possibly_ has a very sick, very dangerous man that _possibly_ may come after her and her unborn child…

Yes. This was _much_ too complicated for his liking.

Though, now that he had the chance to think about it, there was something that struck him as rather odd: Why would this man be after her in the first place? Evelynn had said she had no idea who her attacker was, and that he disappeared almost as soon as he'd arrived. Then, a few months later he shows up again and she flees. If that attack had been as random as she'd conveyed then this man wouldn't have paid much attention to her when he arrived, so why would his return cause Evelynn enough alarm to get her to leave her kingdom? Unless… the attack wasn't as random as she'd made it out to be. Had it possibly happened before? Or, when this _man_ returned, did he attack again? Just thinking of all the possible solutions made him cringe in disgust and understand why Evelynn would be so hesitant to reveal her secret to anyone. And then, after another moment, he wondered if he was beginning to over-think the situation. There was one thing he knew for certain, and that was that no one should be forced to deal with what she currently was.

He threw a glance over his shoulder and made sure Evelynn was no longer trembling as she was a few minutes ago. To his relief she was not, but was standing tall and with a determined look in her eyes. He supposed it was for show, as she_ was_ supposed to be acting like a proud noble; and admired her ability to keep calm given the circumstances. She caught his gaze for a moment, and the mild confidence she exuded flickered as she saw the odd look on his face. He looked away quickly and Evelynn frowned slightly, wondering what he must think of the whole situation. It wasn't like she was going to ask him, though.

With one last curious glance at the prince she turned her attention to the stretch of hall before them and tried her best not to think.

Merlin, on the other hand, was completely puzzled. Evelynn's situation was turning out to be quite the predicament, one that neither he nor his master had expected. What he _did_ know, however, was that Evelynn had been wronged in the worst way imaginable, and that nobody deserved such treatment. As soon as she'd first woken up, after Merlin and Arthur had brought her back to Camelot, he sensed that Evelynn was not one to fear. Even despite his tendency to think the best of everyone he first met he'd still say she meant no harm to anyone. She was lost and troubled, sure, but she wasn't dangerous. He'd taken quite a liking to her already, and felt determined to make sure no harm came to her.

It was with this mindset that, as soon as they arrived to Gaius's quarters, he stopped Evelynn and Arthur before saying cautiously, "You two wait here. I'll go tell him first."

Arthur frowned in resentment at the order but didn't protest when Evelynn nodded gratefully in his manservant's direction. Merlin slipped quietly into the room and shut the door carefully behind him, leaving a rather perturbed Arthur and silent Evelynn out in the hall.

Evelynn slumped heavily against the wall, looking beat. She stared blankly at the door Merlin just entered, anxious to get this next conversation over with and incredibly nervous to be in the presence of a prince. She had no idea what he must think of _her_, much less her situation, and knew that the fact she'd told him she was a servant wouldn't help her image. Not that he seemed to mind much the station one was in. Well, at least, it didn't seem to matter much for Merlin, seeing as he and Arthur were on more of a friendly basis than master and servant. It was a very odd thing to witness, actually, and it was this that she pondered while Merlin spoke with Gaius.

After about five minutes there could be heard a great rustling of objects behind the door, and soon it swung open to reveal an annoyed-looking Gaius. "Come in, come in," he said irritably and shut the door behind them. In his hurry he had not registered the fact that Arthur was there and nodded curtly, "Sire."

Gaius led Evelynn by the elbow to sit in a chair near where Merlin sat, a curious look on his face. He then seated himself a bit in front of her and inquired, "Now, when did this happen?"

Evelynn stated promptly, "Three months ago."

"And how're you feeling right now?"

"A bit overwhelmed, but other than that it's not been too bad." She didn't mention the nightmare, her feeling like she was going to pass out at any moment, or the terrible sense of foreboding in the back of her mind…

"How are your sleep habits?"

"Until a few days ago, they'd been perfectly normal."

"That's understandable," Gaius looked her over solemnly, "I am terribly sorry for what has happened. Who else have you told?"

Evelynn replied sheepishly, "No one but you three. I left as soon as I'd found out."

Gaius nodded and was silent. Merlin was looking intently at the physician, hoping for a bit more of a response, "So how do we help her?"

"There's nothing you really can do," Gaius answered simply and Evelynn nodded, having known this already. He went on, "I can make sure you remain healthy, m'dear, as I do to anyone, but beyond that I can be of no great use to any of you."

The silence closed in on them as they all took this information in, and then Gaius asked bluntly, "And how are you planning to hide this…" he frowned apologetically at Evelynn, "…problem?"

This was something not even Evelynn had thought of and her eyes widened in panic. Gaius prompted, "Are you going to tell Uther?"

"Of course not!" Merlin answered for her, a look of great concentration on his face, "He wouldn't allow Evelynn to stay if he knew, because then we'd have to tell him the truth, which wouldn't go over too well because of the whole 'we lied' thing and—"

"He's right," Arthur interjected, and sighed, "Father would not tolerate such news well."

"Then how are you going to hide it?" Gaius repeated calmly.

Evelynn glanced worriedly at each of their serious faces, and buried hers in her hands, overwhelmed and muttering, "I have no idea. I shouldn't even be here."

Merlin began to protest this but Arthur beat him to it, determined not to break his word and watch her leave Camelot before they'd know she'd be perfectly safe, "We'll have to cross that bridge when we get to it. We have a while until it…" he gestured awkwardly, then grimaced, "shows, right?"

Evelynn nodded slowly, lifting her head from her hands. In the dim light of the room she looked even more tired and sickly; the dark shadows underneath her eyes showing how much the stress and exhaustion were affecting her. As Arthur observed her she tried to stifle a yawn, and then stood up. She said, after a pause and in a very dazed voice, "Thank you, Gaius, for your help. I think I just need to rest for a while and think things through."

The physician nodded, not terribly satisfied with the lack of concern over what would soon become a very big issue, and stood up as well. "When was the last time you ate?"

Evelynn frowned in concentration, saying slowly, "I believe it was… before I left Gryndelliana," she could see Gaius opening his mouth to scold her and she hurried on, "No, actually, it was right after Merlin showed me to my chambers. There was a plate delivered almost as soon as he'd left."

At Merlin's look of great confusion Gaius said admonishingly, "Whatever the case, you need to make sure you keep up your strength. You're responsible for more than just yourself now."

Evelynn shuffled her feet guiltily, "I understand."

Watching this exchange with a neutral expression, Arthur remembered that he was to relay a message to Evelynn, "She'll be taken care of from here on out, Gaius. Father said to invite you," he looked at Evelynn, "to dine with us tonight."

Though a bit startled Evelynn took the news in stride and nodded in acknowledgement. Feeling her eyes begin to get heavy she said to Gaius again, "Thank you," and turned to go. She looked to the two boys she'd come with then said, somewhat embarrassed, "I'm not sure I can get back to my room from here…"

"I'll show you!" Merlin bounced up from his seat, grinning that contagious smile of his. Arthur said he would accompany them as well, and all three of them left Gaius's chambers.

Even though the trip there had only seemed to bring to light a few of the many problems that could arise in the near future, Evelynn felt a bit better now that someone knew, and cared. Not many people have ever cared for her more than they needed to, not even her mother. Merlin and Arthur were complete strangers when they'd vowed to take care of her, and that was a feeling Evelynn wouldn't have ever guessed she'd have. Things were so much better in Camelot.

No one spoke much during the short trip to her chambers; if they did, it was Arthur teasing Merlin for tripping over his own feet or Merlin's attempts at small-talk. The truth was that they had no clue what to say to each other, being in such a foreign situation, and they thought it best to keep the awkward-feeling atmosphere to a minimum. Once they reached their destination, Evelynn hovered in the doorway for a few moments, "I'll be seeing you, then."

"Are you sure you're all right?" Arthur asked, feeling obligated to do so.

Evelynn nodded assuring and Merlin said, "If you need anything, just come and find me."

Arthur added, just because Merlin's eagerness was beginning to get on his nerves, "Or me, though I daresay you could find _Mer_lin easier since he never works anyway."

"I do so!" Merlin protested, and after receiving a withering look from Arthur tacked on reluctantly, "Sire."

"Thank you both," Evelynn nearly grinned at them, and then yawned.

Arthur said, as a way of farewell, "I'll send someone here later to find you for supper."

Evelynn bowed her head in acknowledgement, and then closed the door to get some rest.

After it was shut Arthur turned and began to walk away. Merlin followed and hurried to his side, looking sideways at his master and grinning slightly. Arthur turned to face him, still walking at a leisurely pace, and looked at him oddly. "Don't you have better things to do than following me? Like, say, _work_ing?"

Merlin didn't say anything, just kept smiling at Arthur. Irritably the prince snapped, "What _is_ it, Merlin?"

He kept grinning as he replied, a mischievous gleam in his eyes, "I saw the way you looked at her."

Arthur shook his head, exasperated, "I have _no_ idea what you're talking about." Before Merlin could speak any more of the subject he said heatedly, "You certainly have gotten me into quite a dilemma, _Mer_lin_."_

This wiped the smirk off the warlock's face and he glared resentfully at Arthur, "Why is it always _my_ fault? _You_ were the one who promised to help her." Arthur gave him a stern look that clearly said _'Remember who you're speaking to_', but Merlin persisted, "How did you plan on doing that, anyway? Help her, I mean."

Having spent a little bit of time pondering that question himself he answered quickly, "I have no idea. I had to say _some_thing to get her down." He stopped in the middle of the hallway and ran a hand through his blonde hair, "I was originally planning on just winging it. However, given recent events, I'd say that's not my best course of action."

Merlin rolled his eyes during this explanation, thinking certainly, _'He believes he can charm any woman and it'll solve his problems,'_ Feeling smug that this wouldn't be the case, he crossed his arms and smirked.

Arthur saw this and said crossly, "What do _you_ think I should do?"

"Well, you have to stick to your word," Merlin stated the obvious, which annoyed Arthur to no end, "It's the code."

Feeling the sudden urge to hit Merlin he turned to the dark-haired boy and grinned maliciously. "You know, _Mer_lin, since you seem to be so much _better_ at this sensitive stuff, I believe you'd be best to find a way for me to help her. Once you do," he clapped his manservant on the shoulder and began walking away, "come find me."

Merlin watched, very much exasperated, as Arthur strode regally away, the smug smirk never leaving his face.

* * *

**Author's Note-**

'Ello! So I suppose I lied. I said I'd get this updated before Easter. And it is currently the day _after _Easter. Sorry. D':  
But a day late is better than never! :D

A big thank you to Vera Rose Nightingale, for reviewing! :D  
To all you lovely people out there, reading this story and not reviewing: If you review my story I will read and review yours (if it's of the Merlin fandom). And if I don't, you have my personal permission to pelt me with rotten fruit. I dunno. Is that a bit of an incentive?  
Now, I'm not saying you have to review. Because you don't. It in no way affects the story or its updates. (Well, maybe a little, because sometimes I need encouragement, but not really too much.) So if you don't want to, don't feel obligated to do so. Just keep reading! I don't mind. I like seeing how many people actually read what I post. :D

Another note, and I would very much like to hear your thoughts on this, but how were you taught to spell the word 'dilemma'? I was always, always, _always_ convinced that it was spelt dilemna, with an 'n', but everywhere I've looked it's been spelt 'dilemma', and spell check keeps changing it on me. What was the way you were taught to spell it? I pride myself on being able to spell incredibly well, but this 'dilemma' is baffling me. Comments?

I know there's something else I wanted to tell you all, but I can't remember it now. Maybe next time.

Thanks! - Sydney


	8. Old Friends

**Old Friends**

As soon as Merlin finished with the chores Arthur had given him, (with the help of magic, of course. His mind was too focused on Evelynn's situation to risk messing up anything without it.), he rushed back to his and Gaius's quarters. The sun was just now beginning to set, and when Merlin barged in Gaius looked up from the book he'd been reading with the aid of a candle, an odd look on his face. It never went away as the young warlock sat down at the table with Gaius, and Merlin said semi-defensively, "What?"

Gaius quirked an eyebrow and remarked, "You're home early."

"Yes, well," Merlin began tapping his foot agitatedly on the floor, "I got things done relatively quickly today."

"I see," Gaius said, the stern _you're-hiding-something_ admonishment written on his face, "That's odd, considering how much time you and Arthur spent with Evelynn. I didn't expect to see you home until much later."

Merlin grinned cheekily, "What can I say? I must be getting better at this hands-on stuff."

Gaius shook his head, exasperated, "I have _told_ you hundreds of times not to use your magic for unnecessary tasks! It's a wonder you haven't gotten caught, boy."

Shrugging half-heartedly, Merlin bounced up from his seat and walked around the room, something nagging in the back of his head. He felt like he should be doing something, be somewhere else, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what. With a frown of concentration upon his face he began wandering aimlessly about the room, picking things up and placing them somewhere else, not able to get rid of the nagging feeling.

The elderly physician watched him, half-amused and half-annoyed, and noted that something must be bothering him. That wasn't surprising, really, but Gaius began to get more and more irritated as Merlin knocked over a pile of books on the floor. "You seem restless tonight, Merlin." The boy didn't even seem to hear him so he went on, "I take it Arthur isn't working you hard enough, then?"

Merlin shook his head to snap out of his dazed thoughts and replied, "Huh?"

Gaius looked pointedly at the stack of books he'd knocked over, and then to the jumble of medicines and ingredients scattered on his workbench, "There's always something to do around here…"

Looking confused, Merlin said, "Hmm?" then, realization dawning on his face, "What? No! I just- I need to-" he looked around the room, and his eyes landed upon the halfway-open front door, "I need to take a walk."

As Merlin nearly bolted out of the room Gaius chuckled to himself, having known that the prospect of more chores would make him leave. He was being quite bothersome tonight.

**[---]**

Merlin let his mind wander as his feet carried him forward, not really knowing where it was he was hurrying to. He turned quite a few corners, contemplating what this nagging feeling could mean, and then realized where he was heading: to see the Great Dragon. Again. Every time a problem popped up, it seemed, Merlin found himself seeking out the ancient creature for answers. He always had them, no matter how terrible they usually were.

Without intercepting anyone on the way, he arrived there soon, a bit breathless now that the eagerness had set in, and he quickly descended the long flight of stairs to the place where the Great Dragon was imprisoned. He entered it, torch in hand, and a moment later the dragon soared up from the depths of the cave, landing gracefully on the giant rock across from Merlin. In his wise voice he asked, "What is it, young warlock?"

"I… I don't know," Merlin confessed slowly, rocking agitatedly on his heels. He wanted to explain the feeling of foreboding in the back of his mind but couldn't word it right.

The Dragon's eyes twinkled with taunting sarcasm, "I haven't a bedtime story for you."

_'Clever.'_ Merlin thought bitterly, and said, "No, it's not that. I don't really know why I'm here. I just… am."

"Something is troubling you, it would seem," the Dragon stated, annoyingly smug at pointing out the obvious. It seemed that he enjoyed taunting the boy, who sighed in frustration,

"Well, no, not really…" He was trying to speak his confusion, but it sounded more like a complaint, "Actually, yes. This whole business with Arthur rescuing Evelynn has gotten a bit--"

"Evelynn?"

There was a flash of recognition in the Dragon's eyes, and Merlin narrowed his suspiciously, "Yes… Why?"

This time it was the Dragon's eyes that narrowed, and his voice was grave as he spoke, "She will bring nothing but death to this kingdom if she remains."

Hating the way he always spoke in riddles, Merlin groaned, frustrated, "So what're you saying? We should've let her take her own life?"

"It would've been for the best," the Dragon stated calmly.

Merlin shook his head, "I don't believe that."

The Dragon looked at him condescendingly, "You've doubted me in the past, and look where it has gotten you."

Merlin began to protest, but was startled into silence when the Dragon unfurled his wings and began to fly away, "Heed my warnings, young warlock, and you'll spare many lives, including your own."

At this last remark Merlin's jaw dropped, "What is _that_ supposed to mean?" His question echoed through the cave, but no reply was given.

Mind whirring rapidly, Merlin spun around and trudged back up the stairs. With this newest information in mind he doubted he'd ever be able to sit still when he got back to his chambers, but decided that cleaning a leech tank for Gaius was better than dwelling on what the Great Dragon had just revealed. Why did everything always happen to _him_?

**[---]**

Though her mind was far from peaceful, Evelynn was able to slip into a dreamless sleep after she returned from dinner in the royal hall. It had been a boring affair, mostly consisting of mundane questions and repetitive compliments on what a great kingdom Camelot was. She was all too pleased to finally escape, and was escorted to her chambers by a handmaid after. Without much thought she'd locked the door behind her and slipped into bed, and now here she was, drifting to sleep…

_'Evelynn.'_

Her eyes snapped open and she gasped, looking around the room fearfully for the source of the voice. There was no one in the room with her, and the door was locked, she was sure of it…

_'Evelynn.'_

Her spine stiffened instinctively as she jumped out of the bed, her head tilted to the left as she realized that the voice seemed to echo in her head, like a thought, yet was somehow decaying to the right, as if it were outside the door. She frowned, and nervously started tapping her foot on the stone floor. She stood there indecisively for a few moments, until she heard it again, a tad louder this time, _'Evelynn!'_

The voice, a male's she could assume, sounded impatient as it called, and she took a step forward to head to the door. She didn't know why, but it seemed the right thing to do and the voice didn't sound irritated when it called again as she stood in the threshold, _'Evelynn.'_

Evelynn took a left and headed down the corridor, instinctively cautious and a bit frightened. Her better judgment warned her against going much further, but curiosity overwhelmed her senses and she spurred onward, turning as the voice directed. Soon she arrived at a large oak door at the end of a decrepit hallway, one that didn't look as if it had been used in quite a while. She stood and stared at it, battling against her sense to run, and finally took a deep breath and reached to the handle-

"Ouch!" Evelynn retracted her hand and looked down to see she'd grabbed a sharp point on the underside of the handle, and her middle finger now dripped a tiny bit of blood onto the ground. She cursed her stupidity and looked around, blinking vigorously as if she'd just awoken from a deep sleep. She felt instantly terrified at the thought of being alone in an abandoned part of a huge castle and took off, running as fast as she could until she was in a part of the castle she recognized.

By the time she could recall her surroundings she'd begun to get more and more agitated at the remembrance of what'd occurred. The whole sneaking out in the middle of the night in a castle she barely knew whilst following a voice that seemed to be only in her head yet all around her was in_cred_ibly out of character for her, and not to mention extremely dangerous. Why had she done it? She recalled vaguely that she had sensed safety in the voice, a promise of protection that seemed to lull her into a hypnotic sort of acceptance. She probably would've followed it forever, if that's what it wanted.

And that was dangerous. She'd never been so unguarded in all her life.

With that thought in mind Evelynn glanced at the surrounding corridor, only very dimly lit with what little light seeped in through the windows. It unnerved her to be so alone in such an unfamiliar place, but she knew that she'd find her way back to her room eventually. She crossed her arms protectively and trudged forward, wishing she were back in her bed, asleep, and not wandering the freezing halls of Camelot's giant castle. That's what she got for being such a dunce, though.

Just when she thought she was lost she recognized a very elaborately decorated tapestry that she'd noted reminded her of the castle she'd been so familiar with back home, and her pace quickened to reach it sooner. She rounded the corner eagerly, and right into what felt like a moving wall. She stumbled blindly backward and then was pulled roughly up, pinned to the wall so that she could not move her arms or legs, a hand positioned dangerously next to her throat. Evelynn attempted to yell, as it was the only thing she could think to do through the shock, and was silenced by a familiar voice. Evelynn squinted to see who it was, and in the darkness saw a flash of blonde hair and pale skin.

At the same time Evelynn realized it was Arthur who had her pinned to the wall defensively, the prince realized it was she who he'd thought had attempted to attack him. He cleared his throat, embarrassed, and let her go immediately. She stumbled slightly, still sort of shocked about the whole ordeal.

Arthur coughed again. "My apologies, Evelynn, I didn't expect anyone to be out, much less you." He interpreted her curt nod as one of acceptance and continued, "You know there _is _a curfew here, correct? It's not safe to be out here by yourself."

Now that Evelynn had had time to compose herself she straightened up, a combative look in her eyes, "I could say the same for you."

"It's different, Evelynn." He paused, wondering at the chances of having crossed paths so unexpectedly when he'd just been thinking about their predicament, and then asked, "Why _are_ you out here, anyway?"

She hesitated a moment, unsure how much to tell him. "I couldn't sleep," she said cautiously, and took a deep breath, "I thought I heard someone calling for me, but it's stopped now…"

Arthur could tell by the apologetic look on her face that she knew what she said sounded crazy. And it did. If she was hearing voices, it certainly wasn't something she should announce. He took the confidence and nodded, "It was probably just the wind."

Evelynn frowned at the suggestion, knowing it wasn't the wind, "I suppose." She leaned back against the wall as Arthur looked pensively at the tapestry Evelynn had spotted earlier. She folded her arms loosely across her chest and sighed, "I apologize for not trusting you or Merlin sooner. It's hard for me to trust anyone anymore."

Arthur shrugged and turned to look at her, "No need to apologize. Not after what's happened to you."

Evelynn nodded absently, turning her eyes to a spot on the ground, her thoughts a thousand miles away. She could feel Arthur's gaze as she stood there motionlessly, thinking of how to properly say what was on her mind. She should have probably felt much more careful of what she said to the crowned prince of Camelot, but she felt that she could trust him. Well, with as much as she was willing without revealing too much. She shook her head at the thought, hating all the secrecy and laughed bitterly. In response to the curious gaze she could feel burning into the side of her head she turned back to face Arthur, beginning cautiously, "Have you ever wanted to just go someplace where you're not required to… to think, or do anything at all? Some place that's all dreams, no worries. No thinking required."

"I've yet to find such a place," he replied, giving her a look that was full of understanding and wondering at the fact that he'd been thinking the same thing ever since he was crowned as the prince of Camelot. They both shared a knowing glance, and then something clicked together in his mind, "Here, let me show you something." He started off to his left, but then turned around awkwardly, "You can still climb stairs, right?"

Evelynn, seeing that it was a serious question, laughed incredulously, the first real laugh she'd had in a while. "I think I can manage."

"Good." Arthur turned his back to Evelynn and began to walk away. Figuring that she was supposed to follow him, she smirked and caught up with the offended prince.

It was quite a few twists and turns, and several flights of stairs later, that Evelynn and Arthur emerged onto the balcony of an incredibly high tower. The dark night sky was lit up with the light of thousands of twinkling stars, the moon shining brightly amongst them. Below she could see the silhouette of the other parts of the castle, and beyond that the streets of Camelot. Evelynn stepped forward in wonder, taking it all in. It was so quiet up there, and the view was spectacular. She almost forgot that there was someone else there until Arthur spoke up from behind her, "This isn't exactly what you had in mind, but it's where I go to get away for a short while."

So taken aback was she by the beauty of it all, Evelynn could only whisper, "Wow."

Arthur smirked understandingly, "It's even better when there's people out there." Evelynn said nothing, still speechless, and he continued hesitantly, "Sometimes you can feel like you're just out there, one of them, living a somewhat normal life. It's just a glimpse of what it could be yet it helps, sometimes, to see what I'm fighting for. _Who_ I'm fighting for."

It took a moment to pry herself from the view, but in the next moment she was again impressed, this time by Arthur. "That's very philosophical for such a young prince."

He shrugged, feeling very out of place by telling so much to a servant that he'd just met, but now that he'd started he felt compelled to go on. "I just thought I'd show you because I _know_ what it's like to be where you're at—" he cut himself off, receiving an odd glance from Evelynn, "—er, emotionally. Sort of. But seeing life carry on from this angle has made me realize just how significant one life, no matter how seemingly bad, is to even a prince."

He inwardly cringed, slightly mortified that he'd just told Evelynn all of that. Not only did it make him sound like an over-emotional wimp, but it also was a weakness he as a future king should never admit. He silently berated himself and turned to Evelynn, ready to apologize, but stopped at the look on her face. She had averted her gaze to the ground, but he could see the gleam in her eyes. She was not crying, and for this he was grateful, but she sniffed quietly before saying, "You're right."

They were both silent then, unsure of how to continue. After what seemed like forever Evelynn blinked rapidly to clear her eyes and said quietly, "Thank you. For showing me this. I won't tell anyone." She shivered a bit, suddenly cold, and Arthur nodded in acknowledgement, trying to regain a sense of the princely pride he normally carried himself with,

"You should probably get back. It's late."

Evelynn nodded slowly and Arthur asked, "You know how to get there?"

"I believe so," she answered in a distracted voice. She gave him one last grateful look before saying, "Good night, sire," and walking away.

The prince watched her go, something bugging him, but he was unable to quite put his finger on it. Then, suddenly, he called, "Evelynn?" The dark haired girl peered her head around the corner of the doorway she'd just entered, looking questioningly at him. "There's no real need for all these formalities," he said, referring to the 'sire', and he grinned charmingly, "You're an old friend, remember?"

Evelynn smiled, slightly surprised and touched, and nodded once, continuing the trek back to her chambers

* * *

**Author's Note -**

[whips out shield]  
Okay! So you all probably hate me for not updating in a month and a half, right? I know, I know. I kinda hate myself for it too.  
My muse just didn't want to speak to me.  
Aside from that excuse, which I seem to use quite often, I've just been extra busy. I had a show to wrap up, various school related obligations, and I also just got a new job.  
Hectic!  
But that's no excuse guys. I'm sorry. And I can't even promise that I'll update every week from here on out. It just depends on how much freetime I have, and how late I stay up on the weekends. Because I can't write well unless it's about two AM.  
However, I will try my best.

(Have I mentioned I procrastinate more than what it is probably humanly healthy?)

Thank you for all the reviews, guys! Fourteen already, and we're only at chapter eight. Fantastic. :]  
Much love!

Also! Question for you all!  
Would you like sappy romance sooner than later? Or later rather than sooner?  
I have ways to do both, so take your pick! Whichever one gets the most votes shall be the one that occurs.

I apologize profusely for the out-of-character Arthur in this chapter. At least, I thought he was OOC. I just couldn't get him across as arrogant when he was being so nice to Evelynn. Oh well! It'll improve, I swear. =D

Once again, thanks for the reviews, and as always I hope you enjoyed the chapter.

**-Sydney**

**PS] **My mind was blown when I realized that John Hurt, the voice of the Great Dragon, is also Ollivander in the Harry Potter movies! Fun fact. Now I know why I could never hate the Dragon as much as I wanted! :D


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